“I’m the theater director at Plainfield North High School so I’ve done the show before,” said Kit Crawford, director of “The Music Man,” which features book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson.

“It has what I call singing speech or sing talk. Meredith Willson’s goal was to try to have some of the songs done as people talk, which is interesting to me. Some of the songs are very recognizable. It also has some really cool ballads,” Crawford said.

“It’s an interesting mix of showstoppers, ballads and what I would call 1960s rap in a way.”

Crawford, who has worked in academic theater with Plainfield North for a decade, said directing the Joliet Drama Guild production marks his first foray into directing community theater.

A request from Joliet Drama Guild board member Suzanne Kasper, a reading aide at Chaney Monge School in Crest Hill where Crawford teaches sixth- to eighth-grade social studies, brought him to helm “The Music Man.”

There is an education connection with “The Music Man,” which won Tony Awards including best musical for its original Broadway production and was the basis for the popular 1962 movie starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.

“Harold Hill is basically a con man. He sells the town on a boys’ band,” said Crawford, of Plainfield.

“He shows up as Professor Hill and claims to be a music teacher. He gets them to order uniforms and instruments with the promise that he’s going to be the band director. Of course, when he gets the money he skips town,” Crawford said.

“This time he’s on a train and overhears people talking about him in a pretty negative way so he gets off the train and ends up in River City, Iowa. He starts to do his con and, lo and behold, he meets and falls in love with Marian, the librarian.”

“The Music Man” features music direction by Chris Hasson, choreography by Michael Mendoza and Kalista Roling and costumes by Vera McCary plus a cast including residents of Channahon, Joliet and Plainfield.

“They’re very talented,” said Crawford about the cast, which is led by Brent Dobrovits as Harold Hill and Elyse Lorenz, of Joliet, as Marian Paroo.

“It’s very interesting because you’re working with a wide range of ages, experience and talent but there are some very talented people in this show and kids that have done a lot of theater, dancing and singing work.

“Some of the youngest ones in the cast – 8, 9, 10 up through 12, 13 – already have years and years of experience in dance under their belt. Overall, I was pretty impressed with what we have,” Crawford said.

Something that may be foreign to youngsters when it comes to “The Music Man” is how prestigious a municipal marching band was.

“This takes place in 1912. It’s important to understand that back in that day having a city band or a town band was considered one of the big things that a town could have,” Crawford said.

“Having access to community theater is a great learning experience so I just think that supporting community theater is important.”